Rocking chair



J. SEREDA ROCKING CHAIR Sept. 19, 1967 2' Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1966 INVENTOR. /aszr J21ea4 BYA J. SEREDA Sept. 19, 1967 ROCKING CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1966 United States Patent Ofi ice 3,342,526 ROCKING CHAIR Josef Sereda, 355 E. 61st St., New York, N.Y. 10021 Filed Jan. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 523,166 Claims. (Cl. 297-258) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rocking chair capable of providing a pivotal as well as up-and-down movement relative to the base or floor is disclosed.

The present invention relates to rocking chairs and has for one of its objects the provision of a chair of this character with which the deficiencies and disadvantages of present-day rocking chairs will be eliminated.

Rocking chairs as presently constructed have drawbacks and disadvantages which, in many cases, prevent the widespread use of this type of seat. One of the drawbacks is that a rocking chair requires a fiat and smooth surface on which the rockers rest in order to enable an easy rocking action to be attained. It is difiicult to use a rocking chair on a thick carpet for example, and also impossible to use it out-doorson a lawn because of the dampening eifect of a compressible surface, making rocking difiicult. This reduces the agreeable effect intended to be produced .by a proper rocking action of the chair.

Rocking chairs as presently known are not attached to the floor since the supporting rockers must be unattached to enable them to provide the requisite rocking action. As a result, rocking chairs cannot be readily used in public places, such as for example, in waiting rooms of railroads, bus station, airports, parks and the like since the chairs can be easily moved about and thus readily shifted or perhaps carried off. On the other hand, it is desirable that rocking chairs be used in such places where long delays are often encountered and the restfulness secured by the use of a comfortable rocking chair could be a .decided advantage. Another disadvantage inherent in presently known types of rocking chairs follows from the fact that the rockers of the chair, when rocking back and forth, are likely to cause accidents and particularly when the feet of the occupant or the feet of a bystander enter under one or the other of the rockers and be squeezed thereby.

.It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a rocking chair which eliminates the abovementioned disadvantages because it can be used on any surface since its base or supporting means can be attached finmly, if desired, to the floor. The structure of the chair is such that the same can be produced inexpensively; it is trouble-proof and can be conveniently used with fine comfort to its occupant.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a rocking chair having a base portion which can, if desired, be attached to a floor or other supporting surface; of anupright extending from the base, said upright being slotted adjacent to its lower end and provided at its upper end with an upwardly-facing concavity forming an arcuate cam track; of parallel bars connected together to form a seats-upporting frame and embracing the upright between them, such bars being pivoted at their lower ends by means of a, roller axle, such axle and its roller being vertically movable in the slot in the upright, and the bars being provided above the concavity or track with a roller riding on the track. A seat support is mounted on the upper ends of the bars and couples the bar together. This arrangement is such that as the roller traverses a path defined by the concavity or track and swings around its pivotal axis, a rocking movement as well as a gradual up and down movement of the seat support, similar to that obtained by the conventional rocking chair, is attained.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a rocking chair constructed in accordance with the invention, a part only of the base portion of the chair being shown;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the upper roller or hearing and the mounting therefor;

FIG. 5 is a similar sectional view through the lower roller or hearing and the mounting therefor;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through the means for locking the seat support against movement relatively to its supporting upright, and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and showing the rocking action attained by the chair.

FIG. 8 shows the principle on which the rocking chair is based.

With reference to the drawings, there is therein shown a supporting base for the chair, the same in the form shown, consisting of a plurality of strips or bars 1 constituting feet and attached at one end to a stationary upright plate 2 by means of bolts 3 or equivalent fastening elements. The supporting feet 1 project laterally from the lower end of the upright plate 2 and rest upon the floor or other supporting surface and therefore constitute the support for the chair. These feet may, if desired, be secured to the floor to thus maintain the chair in a fixed or permanent position.

The upright plate 2 is attached at its lower end to the base strips or feet 1 and the side edges of the upright diverge from said lower end to result in a relatively wide upper portion 4 on the plate, the upper edge of said portion being formed with an arcuate concavity or depression 5 facing upwardly and provided with a longitudinal channel or groove 6 constituting a track. At each end of this track is provided a stop member or abutment 7, which members act to limit the extent of travel of a roller or bearing 8 that is carried by twin supporting bars 9 and 10.

The supporting bars 9 and 10 embrace the upright 2 between them and these bars are connected together in the required spaced relation at their upper ends to form a frame, by means of a plate 11 which is slightly inclined as clearly shown in FIG. 1, and which plate serves as a support for the seat 12 and chair back 13. Adjacent to the lower ends of the bars 9 and 10 is a bolt constituting an axle 14 (FIG. 4) which carries a roller bearing 15 located between suitable spacing washers 16. The roller bearing 15 is positioned to be able to ride up and down in a vertical slot 18 centrally positioned in the lower end portion of the upright plate 2. Said slot has a longitudinally disposed channel or track 17 and the disposition of the axle 14 and its roller 15 is such that they pivotally at- 9 and 10 to the upright plate 2, while the roller 15 in the track 17 permits the frame, composed of the connected bars 9 and 10, to have the required vertical movement as the roller 8 traverses the channel or track 6 by back and fourth or reciprocating movement therein. The channel or track 6 thus acts cam-like on the roller 8.

As will be seen in FIG. 4, the roller or bearing 8 is rotative on an axle or bolt 20 extending through the bars 9 and 10, the roller or bearing 8 being spaced from the bars by means of suitable spacing washer 21. The roller or hearing 8 is so positioned that it will ride back and forth in the track or channel 6 when the occupant of the seat 12 imparts a rocking movement to the seat.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved rocking chair will be apparent. As the seat support 11 is moved back and forth by the occupant, the frame composed of the connected bars 9 and 10, will pivot about its axis 14 while the roller or bearing 8 traverses the channel or track 6. Due to the curvature of this track and its cam effect on the roller 8, a rising movement of the frame bars 9 and 10 is necessary and this is attained by the vertical movement of the axle 14 and bearing 15 in the channel 17 of the vertical slot 18. The rocking and elevating effect attained by the described construction will be seen from the dotted line representations shown in FIG. 7.

Theoretically, the channel or track 6 can have any curvature, and the curvature of the track will determine the kind of movement which will be imparted to the seat. However, it is desirable that the rocking chair shall produce a movement or rocking effect similar to that attained by the present type of standard rocking chair and such movement is secured by the described structure.

When the occupant of the chair wishes to discontinue the rocking movement and desires to use the chair in the ordinary way with the seat held stationarily, a locking device shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 6 is employed. Such device includes a housing or casing 22 attached to one of the bars 9 or 10, said housing containing a slidable plunger rod 23, biased by a coil spring 24, through an aperture 25 provided in either the bar 9 or 10 to which the housing 22 is attached. The upright support 2 is provided with a plurality of spaced holes 26 adapted to be selectively engaged by the plunger rod 23 to stationarily hold the bars 9 and 10 and the seat and its support, against rocking movement. Thus, the seat may be stationarily held in any one of a number of positions according to the hole 26 engaged by the plunger rod. The plunger rod is formed with recesses 27 and 28, either of which is adapted to be engaged by a spring-biased detent ball 29 to hold the plunger rod in either a projected or retracted position. The projected position is shown in FIG. 2 and the retracted position is shown in FIG. 6. A knob 30 is provided on the end of the plunger rod 23 for the manipulation of the plunger rod, and a stop ring 31 surrounds the rod and limits its extent of projection into the upright plate 2.

It will be apparent that a rocking chair construction is provided which will eliminate the objections found in conventional rocking chairs and as pointed out herein; which will simulate the normal rocking effect secured by a conventional rocking chair, and which can be stationarily positioned on a floor or other surface and the desired rocking effect secured regardless of the nature of such surface.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rocking chair comprising, a supporting base stationarily resting upon a floor or similar surface, an upright member extending from the base, a seat-carrying frame pivotally attached to the upright member, said frame having a pivotal as well as an up-and-down movement relatively to the base, a concavity in the base defining a track, and roller means carried by the frame and riding in the track and causing the up and down movement of the frame and seat as the frame is rocked back and forth. 2. A rocking chair according to claim 1, wherein the frame consists of spaced bars confining the upright member between them, said upright member having a vertical slot in its lower portion, the frame carrying a roller in its lower end riding in the slot, the concavity in the upright member being an arcuate surface in the top of said member and the roller means carried by the frame being located above the concavity and near the upper end of the frame.

3. A rocking chair according to claim 1, wherein the upright member has legs extending laterally from it for the support of the chair, the upright member consisting of a plate secured to said legs and projecting upwardly therefrom, the upright member having a vertically-disposed channelled slot near its lower end, the frame consisting of twin bars held in spaced relation with the upright member located between them, a seat secured at the upper ends of the bars and connecting the bars together in their spaced relation, the frame having a roller bearing located between its bars adjacent to the lower end of the same, the roller bearing riding in the slot and permitting the frame to have a pivotal as well as a vertical movement relatively to the upright member, the upright member having an arcuate track formed in its upper edge, stop elements at the opposite ends of the track, the roller means consisting of a roller bearing carried by the frame between its bars and riding in the track.

4. A rocking chair comprising, supporting means, a swingable seat support connected to the supporting means, said seat support having pivotal as well as a limited vertical movement relatively to the supporting means, a

curved track for controlling the pivotal and vertical movements of the seat support, and means carried by the scat support to which the vertical movements of the seat support are translated by the curvature of the track, wherein the pivotal and vertical movements of the seat support are rendered possible by a roller and slot engagement between the seat support and the supporting means, and the curved track being provided on the supporting means and the translating means for the seat support being a roller carried by the seat support and riding on the track.

5. A rocking chair according to claim 4, wherein the roller which engages the slot is carried by the seat support and the slot therefor is provided in the supporting means, the curved track being an arcuate channel in the 50 top of the supporting means, and the roller which engages said track is carried by the seat support above the channel and below the seat on said seat support.

References Cited DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner. G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROCKING CHAIR COMPRISING A SUPPORTING BASE STATIONARILY RESTING UPON A FLOOR OR SIMILAR SURFACE, AN UPRIGHT MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE BASE, A SEAT-CARRYING FRAME PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE UPRIGHT MEMBER, SAID FRAME HAVING A PIVOTAL AS WELL AS AN UP-AND-DOWN MOVEMENT RELATIVELY TO THE BASE, A CONCAVITY IN THE BASE DEFINING A TRACK, AND ROLLER MEANS CARRIED BY THE FRAME AND RIDING IN THE TRACK AND CAUSING THE UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT OF THE FRAME AND SEAT AS THE FRAME IS ROCKED BACK AND FORTH. 